The Colour of the Night
by PJ Blindclown
Summary: Lief and Jasmine are about to be married, and both are thinking of what this will mean. But the Dragon of the Topaz seems to have other ideas for Jasmine in particular.
1. The Dragon's Request

(A/N) I know it has been ages since I've published a work on this sight. Since that time I've changed a lot as a person, and as a writer. Please give this story a chance and maybe a review if you've got the time. For those that don't know, a maiden refers to a female vergin, and that is how I am using the word in this story. There is no known male equivalent in the English language.

Enjoy!

Chapter one:

The Dragon's Request

As Jasmine walked through the city gates of Del, Lief felt a sadness that almost made him ache from within. Despite the fact that she was now his betrothed, and their marriage was to take place in the spring, he still found it hard to let her go.

"It will only be for a week," she had told him. But now, that seemed like an age to him. They had spent the better part of three years in constant company, and now she would be leaving him. His only consolation was that she would be accompanied by her Father Doom, who he knew would protect her with his life. Of course, there had been that short time in Tora when she had travelled there, and not long after when they had been separated on their way to the Isle of the dead, but Jasmine had not been his betrothed then. Things had changed.

Many in the kingdom still did not know that Lief had chosen a bride, the announcement would come at the full moon meeting in Del, and then again in Tora when the meeting was held there, but still Lief believed that the shadow lord posed a threat to her. It used her as bait when it knew that I loved her, and that was enough then, Lief thought as he made his way back through the city to the forge where he still lived. At the forge, his mother was waiting for him with a meal she had brought from the palace.

"It is better for you both to have this short time apart," she said, seeming to understand how he was feeling. "You will have the rest of your lives together. Besides, Jasmine is only going to the forests where she grew up, and she will have Kree with her. If she needs to send you a message while she is away, I am sure she will."

"That does not make me feel much better about the situation Mother," Lief said as Sharn put the plate of food on the table in front of the chair where Lief sat. "The shadow lord knew that I loved her when no one else in the kingdom did. Surely it has ways of finding out that we are now to be married. What if something happens to Jasmine and Doom while I am still here?"

Sharn found herself wishing she had brought something to eat for herself as well, as she could tell that this was not going to be a short conversation. As she sat down at the table in front of Lief and handed him a knife and fork, she thought that perhaps she should have had this conversation with Lief when he had first come home after restoring the belt of Deltora, so obviously in love with that strange wild girl who had grown up in the dreaded forests of silence, could communicate with birds, animals and trees, and just so happened to be the daughter of her late husband Endon's dearest friend. Many in Del assumed that Sharn would want Lief to marry a high born girl, possibly even from Tora, but when she had observed the relationship that the two young people shared, and remembered the brief time that she, Anna, Jarred and Endon had spent in the forge, Sharn could not think of a better match for her beloved only son.

But Jasmine had not grown up as Lief had. Lief had always spent his time in the company of other humans. He had parents who set rules for him, prepared meals for him, worried for him when he disobeyed those rules, and attended to all his other needs. Jasmine on the other hand, had had very little of that. Of course, Sharn knew that if Jarred and Anna had not been taken to the shadowlands, things may have been slightly different for Jasmine. But things were as they were, and so now Sharn felt that it was her duty as Lief's mother to at least try and make him understand that his bride to be might always be more independent than he was, but that he could learn some of that independence and use it to his advantage. He was the king of Deltora after all, and running the kingdom could not just be confined to Del. Sharn knew that as time went on, there would be occasions when Lief would have to leave Jasmine as well. She could not accompany him on all his journeys, however much she might want to. Especially if there would be children involved. When she had spoken with Jasmine about this matter while they were both in Tora, she seemed to have understood rather well, despite having no idea of the difficulties of being a queen, and later, the mother of the child who would take Lief's place.

"I can survive without Lief," She had said on the fourth day, just as they were beginning to believe that he might not be found alive. "But just now, I do not want to, and that is why I will not give up on finding him. Besides, if the dreaming water shows me that he is indeed dead, I would rather know for sure so that I can grieve for him and eventually move on, rather than spending my life wondering if he will ever be found."

Sharn had been impressed with Jasmine's attitude, and even more so when she discovered that it had not changed with time or she and Lief's impending marriage and she could only hope that now her son would be just as understanding.

"Jasmine can survive without you," Sharn began tentatively as Lief picked up his cutlery and began eating. "But I can understand why you would worry. Your position as king of Deltora does put her in some danger I agree."

"I confess, I wanted to marry her when I thought I would be a blacksmith." Lief said, blushing slightly. Sharn smiled half to herself and continued.

"I understand why you might not want to think of her being able to survive without you, but she can do it, and she will do it if the need arises, and I think you know it Lief. You know in your heart that Jasmine can survive without you, but you do not want her to be able to, because you feel that you cannot survive without her. But I believe you can."

Lief said nothing.

Later in his room, with his mother's words still weighing on his mind, Lief lay in his bed and thought. He thought of Jasmine in the forests of silence with her father Doom. Doom had wanted to travel to the forests to learn what had become of his daughter and his old life after he had left them. He had just wanted to see, he had said, but Lief knew that it was more than that. He knew that Doom wanted to connect the pieces of his shattered life together so that they would make some kind of sense to him. He also knew that Doom wanted an opportunity to grieve his late wife, Anna, and for he and Jasmine to share the final farewell that they had been denied so long ago.

He thought of Jasmine in the forests, back where she felt she truly belonged. He wondered if it had been wrong of him to ask her for her hand in marriage, for being his wife would mean that she would have to live in Del. Once or twice he had entertained visions of running away with her to the forests of silence, away from everything in Del, but he knew that could never be. And now, Jasmine was in the forests. Despite the fact that she was betrothed to him, Lief knew that she could turn from the agreement if she wished. She was also still a maiden, and he was still an innocent youth, which meant that the only thing that bound her to him was her word. Then a thought came into his mind that was certainly not his own. For an instant, Lief did not know exactly where it had come from.

But then, "King of Deltora, I wish to speak with you." It was the voice of Fidelis, the Topaz dragon, calling him in his mind. "Come to me at once. I am just outside the gates of your city. Make haste, I do not like your guards, and this is very important."

Lief lay there stunned. What could the dragon want at this hour? Surely no humans had been attacking it. Lief had made it law that no human was to attack any dragon in Deltora, and had made sure that notices had been distributed throughout the kingdom telling the people that dragons would not attack them if left alone. This law was punishable by imprisonment, so Lief could not think why anyone would decide to break it.

Even so, he dressed quickly, took his sword, put on his cloke, and walked out of the forge and into the night. When he reached the city gates, the guards on duty held up their lanterns, saw who it was, and immediately stepped aside. As far as they were concerned, Lief was the king of Deltora, and so could come and go from Del, (or anywhere for that matter) as he pleased. Usually, this mentality annoyed him because he wished to be treated as any other citizen when not carrying out official duties, but tonight he was grateful. He did not want the guards asking questions, finding out that he had been speaking to the dragon in the dead of night, and then reporting it back to Barda. At least not until he knew what the dragon wanted. He saw the dragon at once, its golden scales standing out in the otherwise dark winter night.

"I am sorry for rousing you from your sleep, King of Deltora, but as I said, this is important."

"It is no problem, Dragon," Lief Replied. "I was not asleep in any case. What is it you want from me? Surely my people have not been harming you, I have made it law that they are not to do so."

"No, your people have not harmed me, but I have something to ask of you." The dragon said. For a moment, Lief wondered what it might be.

"Name it," he said finally.

"Well, King of Deltora, it seems I may lay an egg within the next few weeks," the dragon began.

"Why, that is wonderful!" Lief exclaimed, suddenly feeling happier than he had felt since Jasmine had left.

"Where is your female, King of Deltora? Is she back in the house where you live?"

The dragon's questions caught Lief completely off guard. For a moment, he did not know how to answer.

"No, she is not at my home just now," Lief said, hoping he was right in assuming that the Dragon was speaking of Jasmine. "What is it you…" He stopped there. For all of a sudden the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and when Lief looked up, he did not like to meet the Dragon's golden eye. "She is in the forests of silence, in the first wood I think, which is your territory." He said carefully. "But just as I have made it law that the people of this land are not to harm the Dragons, I also ask that the Dragons do not harm humans."

"Oh no, King Lief, I do not intend to harm your female, I only want her hair to line my nest. As I just told you, I will be laying an egg in the coming weeks, and dragons need the hair of maidens to line their nests, as you well know. She is a maiden, is she not? Unless you have already taken her for a mate, which would be understandable." As Lief nodded to confirm that yes, Jasmine was a maiden and therefore not his mate, he realised that the Dragon had just used his true name, which meant it was intending to use the power he had given it on the night they undid the final plan of the Shadow Lord. It really did want Jasmine's hair, and it seemed there was nothing he could do to stop the Dragon from getting it. It did not escape his notice that the Dragon had also guessed at the nature of their relationship. This made him worry for her even more.


	2. The Dress

(A/N.) Please forgive any mistakes. In my haste to get this posted, I didn't get another person to proofread as I usually do.

Disclaimer: I forgot to put this in the previous chapter, but it should be pretty obvious that I don't own it. All characters, places etc used in this story belong to Emily Rodda.

Chapter Two:

The Dress

While Lief was bidding the Dragon of the Topaz farewell, and watching it fly away toward the forests and probably Jasmine, Sharn was also awake. She was working in the sewing room of the palace by the light of a single candle which was sitting a little way away from her needlework so that there was no risk of it catching fire. Sharn was working on a dress. The dress that Jasmine would ware on her wedding day. It was very similar to the dress that Jasmine's own mother, Anna had worn on the day she married Jarred. It was the same shade of green as both women's eyes, and quite long. Sharn imagined that Jasmine would look beautiful waring it, especially in the warmer spring weather. Though Anna's dress had not been made of silk, the two garments were very alike, and Sharn was glad that Jasmine had agreed with a little persuasion to actually wear a dress at all.

Sharn had first seen the original garment hanging in Jarred and Anna's room at the forge. As Anna scrubbed at her face with a cold, damp cloth to ensure that no paint remained, Sharn's eyes had taken in the small room that she would soon call her own, and lingered on the green cotton dress that despite being quite plain had obviously been made with skill.

"I wore that dress on my wedding day." Anna had said softly, seeing Sharn looking at it with obvious interest. "It is a shame that I cannot take it, Jarred says we are only to take what we need, because all will be provided for us in Tora. But I do wish that I could have this one thing from my old life, you will certainly have no use for it, and if my child is a girl, I would like to hand it down to her for her own wedding."

For a moment, they sat there and smiled as a picture of a young woman with Jarred's hair and Anna's eyes waring that dress came into both their minds.

"You must take it then!" Sharn had cried. "No child of yours should have to suffer for your sacrifice, and one day Endon will do what is right and free Deltora. Then your daughter can ware that dress, and hopefully your granddaughter as well. It is only fair."

Anna had listened to her and taken it. The dress, along with almost everything else that Jarred and Anna had owned, had not survived the grey guard's fire.

So now, Sharn worked during the night to create a likeness. It was her retelling of this story that had made Jasmine agree to wear a dress to her wedding. Surprisingly, it was Jasmine who had decided that it should be made of silk, unlike the original. "A cotton dress of that length would be too heavy and warm," she had said, as usual putting practicality before anything else. After that, they had gone into the city to find a fabric that would be better suited to the weather. Jasmine had chosen the silk, and Sharn had measured it to fit her, all the while Lief had no idea. Sharn had thought it would be nice for him not to see the dress that his bride would ware, as was the tradition, and Jasmine had not disagreed.

The new dress was nearly finished, and Sharn felt a tear come to her eye as she remembered Anna, thought how sad it was that she had not lived to see her daughter get married, and hoped that she was doing right by her by creating a dress that was as close to the one that Jasmine might have worn as she could make it.

The next morning, in the forests of silence, Jasmine was navigating the treetops of her old home with the ease of long practice. They had taken the long way to avoid the wenn, and slept the night halfway between Del and the forests. Doom was navigating the treetops with far more difficulty.

"How much further?" He asked, panting a little.

Jasmine turned her head to look at him, balancing precariously on a tree branch. Doom felt his stomach drop at the sight.

"It is not far now," Jasmine replied. "It should be in the tree in that clearing if it is still there."

And indeed, there it was. The nest was far more dilapidated and neglected than Jasmine would've kept it had she lived there still, but there all the same. It looked as though it might just support them both, but Jasmine decided to test it to be sure.

"I will stand on it first." She said. Doom, not sure to feel amazed or saddened at the sight of his daughter's home after he left her, could only nod. Jasmine climbed onto the bizarre wooden structure and stood there for a moment, seemingly untroubled by the fact that it was swaying gently with the early morning breeze. Doom found himself looking away to avoid being sick.

"I think it is alright." She said after a while. "Or at least, the trees don't warn me of any danger here." Doom had to look then, and to his horror he saw that Jasmine was walking around the small area, testing its ability to hold her. "You should come up Doom!" She called down to him. "You said you wanted to see where I lived after you were taken, and I did just tell you that it was safe." Doom wondered if she realized just how much heavier than her he was. But for this time, he decided to trust her. Jasmine was right, he had requested that she show him where she had lived and how she had survived. He felt that he owed it to her to at least learn this. He also felt that he owed it to himself. When he had seen her in the forge after regaining his memory, he could hardly believe who he was looking at. But then he had remembered the name her companions had called her while he still did not remember, and knew it had to be true. When the guards were marching he and Anna in chains toward the shadowlands, he had convinced himself that his daughter had fallen fowl of one of the many horrors that lived in the forests. He remembered how he had hoped that her death was quick and as painless as possible. But there Jasmine was, waiting for him, on the strange nest that he was now climbing onto.

For a long while, they both sat in silence, engrossed in thoughts and memories. Both felt that there was nothing to say. For Jasmine and Doom, no words of any kind could change what had been done to their family. But neither of them felt any kind of resentment toward Endon, Sharn or Lief.

Jasmine knew only too well that the sacrifice her Mother and Father had made all those years ago was the reason that Lief lived today. For that, she could only be thankful. Not just because she loved him, but because her time traveling Deltora had given her an appreciation for the land that she had not had when she lived in the forests. She had been glad to be one of those responsible for ridding the land of the shadow lord, and even more glad when Lief had asked her to marry him, allowing her to care for the land, and lead its people beside him.

The silence between them lengthened, but still neither spoke, for both of them felt at peace. Then all of a sudden, Jasmine spoke, shattering that peace.

"The trees say something is approaching," She whispered. "By air, coming very fast. Toward us!"

Jasmine and Doom both drew their weapons and stood up. Then Jasmine saw what the trees had noticed before her. A large shape was indeed approaching very fast. As it came closer, Jasmine realized what it was. It was the dragon of the topaz.

"We must go down and greet it!" Jasmine said as the dragon landed in the clearing at the base of the tree. Doom looked uncertain, but seeing his daughter hurrying down the tree toward the place where the dragon crouched, he felt he had no choice but to follow her. The dragon seemed not to notice him, however. It was looking straight at Jasmine.

"You are the King's female." It said to her. Jasmine didn't quite understand what the dragon meant by this. Seeing the questions in Jasmines eyes, it continued.

"He chooses you to fight beside him. You were linked at the hands when we destroyed the evil thing in my land. He is your own age. He has chosen you for a mate. You will rule this land beside him, if you do not do so already. You will be the one who carries his young in your belly. Am I not correct?"

Jasmine did not know what to say to all this. Finally, she answered. "I am not the queen, if that is what you want to know."

"So, it is true." The dragon said. "He has not yet taken you for a mate. That is good."

Suddenly, Doom spoke up. "You cannot have her!" He said angrily. "She is my daughter. If you try to harm her Dragon, I will attack, and whatever King Lief says about harming dragons, I am sure he will sanction this. Jasmine is his betrothed. They will marry in the spring. Whatever the situation might've been before, the maidens of this land are no longer yours for the taking. Find something else to line your nest and leave us in peace."

Jasmine did not understand why her father was suddenly furious. She also did not understand why it was so important that Lief had not yet taken her for a mate.

"If my hair is what you want, Dragon, and then you are welcome to it." Jasmine said quickly, shooting her father a warning look. "It is far too long in any case, and it is becoming a mess. I would be glad to be rid of most of it."

"Thank you, female." The dragon said, bowing to her. "Now that that is settled, will you cut it off now? Or will you travel to the Os-Mine hills and bring it to my cave?"

"We will travel to the hills, Dragon if that is alright with you." Doom said quickly before Jasmine could open her mouth to speak.

"Farewell then," The dragon replied, and without waiting for a response, it spread its wings, and flew away as quickly as it had come.

Jasmine turned to Doom, full of questions.

"Why was it so important that Lief had not taken me for a mate? My hair would be the same either way, would it not?"

Jasmine had learned during her time at the palace there were other more polite words that were used by humans to describe the act that produced offspring, and she had also learned that such things were only spoken of in private. Marilen and Sharn had made this custom very clear to her. So she was not surprised that her father's face was now red with embarrassment. But still, she had to know.

"I am not sure," Doom replied. "But for dragons, it seems to make a difference whether or not the hair that lines its nest is taken from the head of a maiden. I should like to study it further in my travels. Once you and Lief are wed I will set off at once. This encounter has given me new purpose."

This prompted another question.

"A maiden is simply a woman who is unmarried, is it not?"

Doom's face became even redder as he answered. "Not quite. A maiden is a woman who is untouched. Or to use the dragon's words, a woman who has not been taken for a mate." He explained. He expected Jasmine to say more, but to his surprise, she remained silent.

Jasmine was thinking hard. If a woman could marry without needing to take her husband for a mate, then surely it worked the other way around. Still, she thought it better to ask. If nothing else, she knew that Doom would tell her the honest truth.

"Doom," She began awkwardly, knowing her father was already embarrassed. "Does that mean that a woman can be unmarried but not untouched?"

"Yes," Doom replied, seeming to recover from most of the shocks he had experienced since entering the forests. "Your mother was one such woman. Did you not know Jasmine? That is why her wedding dress was green and not white. It has always been the custom for a woman to wear white on her wedding day. It means that she is pure. I did not care though, I loved Anna, and to me, that was all that mattered." Doom was smiling now, in the grip of remembered emotion.

But Jasmine's mind was suddenly racing. She was going to wear a green dress on her own wedding day, in memory of her mother. Would Lief think that she had been with other men for this reason? Would he refuse to marry her if he saw her in a dress that was not the right colour? She knew that Sharn had nearly finished making the dress. Should she send Kree with a message saying that she could not ware it? No, she could not do that. Sharn had spent many hours working on it, and Jasmine knew that it would break her heart if the dress was never worn.

Looking up, Jasmine noticed that Doom was staring at her. Clearly he was expecting her to speak. But for once, Jasmine was lost for words.


	3. The Herbs in the Garden

(A/n.) I would like to thank my reviewers. Your support has really helped me stay motivated. I would also like to thank those who helped me with my research for this chapter. You know who you are. This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but it was necessary to put it in.

Chapter Three:

The Herbs in the Garden

Jasmine thought a little more on what her father had just said. She decided that thinking about Lief's possible reaction to her wedding dress would not change anything just now. She could deal with that matter when she returned to Del. It came into her mind that what her father had just told her about her mother may have been kept secret until now, but why? What did it matter if her mother had not been a maiden? It mattered for Jasmine because she was marrying the king of Deltora. But surely for her mother it had not been so serious. Anna had only married the blacksmiths apprentice at the time. Jasmine decided that she would have to break the silence that was again lengthening between them and ask him to tell her the whole story. She only hoped he knew it.

"Doom," she began. "How is it that my mother was not a maiden when you married her? And why did you say it just now as though it should be a secret that only yourself, Sharn and I would know?"

Doom took a short while to answer her.

"Because it was kept a secret when I did marry her," he said. "Old Crian, rest his soul, did not want the people of Del, many of whom had been customers of his for years to know that his granddaughter had been with a man before being married. He was not even going to let her wear something special for her own wedding. He was worried and angry. He knew he was old, and would die within the next year or so after we were married. He wanted to make sure that the good reputation he had built did not die when he did. But Anna said that if he refused to buy her a new dress for her wedding, then she would run away and move somewhere else in the city. She knew that that would be even worse for her grandfather's reputation. So, he gave her five gold coins and told her to go to the market. He sent me with her, saying that he felt safe doing so, as I was the one she had disgraced herself with in the first place. I chose that dress because it matched her eyes."

All the while, Jasmine had been listening carefully. But now, upon hearing what she had heard, she could not stop herself from speaking. "So it was you she had been with! Not some other man from who knows where. For a moment there I was thinking that she had found a man to lay with in a tavern or something."

Doom smiled, for once being able to see the humour in his daughter's lack of knowledge about how humans behaved. "No, no, it was nothing like that." He said, still smiling. "Anna and I had been living together for three years. I was fourteen when I left the palace. She was thirteen when I met her. Over the years we grew close. She trusted and loved me, I trusted and loved her. When I was seventeen years old I already knew what my life would be. Crian had trained me to be the blacksmith of Del. Anna's father had taught her about healing herbs and how to use them before he died, so there were prospects for Anna if she chose not to remain at the forge when her grandfather also died. But I would not have that. As I said, I loved her and knew she loved me. Perhaps it was foolish of me to ask her to marry me right then, but I did not want to think of her leaving the forge, and so I did. Anna agreed, but thought that at sixteen and seventeen we were far too young to marry. Even so, we lay together once or twice. Anna said that if animals could have such relationships without being married, then so could we. Your mother had a way with animals. That is part of the reason we did so well here." Doom paused briefly, gazing around at the birds, trees and other forest life that surrounded him. "Has Sharn told you about the tea you can make to prevent a child coming into the world before its time?"

"Yes," Jasmine answered, almost obediently. She was surprised to see that as he asked her this question, her father's face kept its usual expressionless mask.

"When we tended the forge garden, she showed me the herb that both she and Mama used. Before then I always thought that Sharn had planted the herb garden herself. She showed me how to dry the leaves and make the tea, but she told me that I would have to drink six cups of it each day for it to work properly! I am not sure I could do that. For me, that is far too many cups of tea. Sharn also said that the herb could be used in a salad along with others in the garden that had similar properties, but they would not work as well as drinking it as an infusion."

Yes," Doom said. "I know the ones; your mother planted some here when we moved. She also used them in her cooking, but not for that purpose. She would still boil water and make the tea." But if you do decide that the tea is not for you, one thing is for sure. Deltora will never be without an heir."

Jasmine realised that in all the time that she had been betrothed to Lief, they had never talked about how many children they would have. They both wanted more than one, but just how many would be enough?

(A/n.) The main herb I am referring to here is parsley. It does have contraceptive properties, but I don't advise using it.


	4. Come by the Hills

(A/n.) This chapter is dedicated to EJ101, who has been my most loyal follower for many years.

Chapter Four:

Come by the Hills

Later that same day, Kree was flying to Del, carrying messages for Lief from Jasmine and Doom. Though the messages both said that they would be leaving the forests in a few days and traveling to the Os-Mine hills to deliver Jasmine's hair to the dragon, both had wanted to send one. So Kree carried the message from Jasmine in his beak, and the message from Doom tied to his leg. As it happened, Kree had not wanted to stay in the forests for as long as Jasmine Doom were planning to. He wanted to return to the palace in Del, and Ebony. Ebony, who was now his mate. Not long before Kree had left Del, Ebony had laid several eggs, and Kree was to be the father of all their young. They had agreed that all the young would be trained as messenger birds, due to the fact that they were in such short supply because so many of them had been killed the day the sister of the south had been destroyed. Kree had not wanted to leave Jasmine in the forests, but he knew that it must be done. Ebony and the messenger birds needed him more than Jasmine did just now, so on he flew.

At the palace, Lief Sat in the library, reading a letter from one of the farmers who now supplied food to the palace. In his letter, the man was saying that he had discovered a plant that for some reason made some of his livestock reproduce more quickly, and thus increase his supplies. He was requesting that Lief speak with him personally, at the full moon meeting this month or some other time, to discuss getting funds from the palace to grow more of this crop throughout the land so that it could be enjoyed by all in Deltora, not just those at the palace. Lief liked that the man was thinking of all of Deltora's farmers and did not seem to want to make any profit from his discovery. Though he doubted very much that such a plant really did exist. It seemed strange that it was being discovered only now. Lief quickly penned his reply to the farmer, telling him that he would speak with him at the next meeting, and walked out of the library toward the bird room to send his message. In the bird room, there were only a few birds to choose from. Ebony was nesting, and so refused to carry Lief's message. Eventually, he chose Blackwing, the first bird he had saved from Paff's poison. As he watched Blackwing fly out of the window and away, Lief saw another blackbird flying toward the palace. He knew better than to hope that it was Kree, Jasmine and Doom had only been gone for a day and a night, so what could they have to tell him? But Lief was proved wrong when none other than Kree himself flew into the bird room with two notes. One was tied to his leg; the other was clamped in his beak. He dropped the note in his beak straight into Lief's hand, and allowed him to untie the other from his leg. Then Kree went to perch beside Ebony.

Lief found it strange that Kree had been carrying two notes, but he supposed that Jasmine and Doom had wanted to send a message each. He was proved right when he looked at the writing on the note that had been tied to Kree's leg.

"Lief,

I bring bad tidings. I fear that your dragon protection laws shall be tested soon. The dragon of the topaz found Jasmine and I in the forests, and it appears to want Jasmine's hair to line its nest. She and I will travel to the Os-Mine hills later today, and as hard as I have tried to convince her otherwise, Jasmine insists on giving the dragon most of her hair willingly. We will probably return to Del tomorrow, or if not then, the day after that.

Doom."

Lief felt his heart sink as he read the note. So, the dragon had wanted Jasmine's hair, and there really was nothing he could do to stop her giving it. He wondered if Jasmine knew what she was doing. What he feared most was that the dragon would continue to want Jasmine's hair, and insist that she cut it off each time it laid an egg for as long as it lived, and that would mean that he could forget his plans to marry her. If the dragon did want her hair for the rest of its life, Jasmine would need to remain a maiden forever.

To find out for himself if Jasmine knew just what it was she was getting into, Lief smoothed out the note that she had sent him.

"Lief,

I have decided to donate a length of my hair to the topaz dragon. If you have already read the note from Doom, you will know that we plan to travel to the hills today. Doom seems to think that it is a bad idea for me to give my hair, but I think he is wrong. If I am to be the queen of this land, then part of my duty to it should be to help its dragons. But I have no doubt that you will agree with Doom, because that is how things usually are.

Jasmine."

So, that was how it was. Jasmine was giving her hair to the dragon without speaking with him first, out of some strange sense of duty.

Later, in the kitchens, Lief sat with his mother and some of the cooks, sharing a midday meal. Sharn and the cooks were all quite cheerful, but Lief found that he just could not share their good spirits. He was still thinking of Jasmine, Doom and the topaz dragon. Jasmine and Doom were probably on their way to the hills, and when Lief had tried to send Kree with a message for Jasmine, telling her not to go through with giving her hair, he refused to go. It seemed that Kree was soon to be the father of the chicks that Ebony was soon to hatch, and he would not leave the nest, whatever Lief said. _"Strange,"_ he thought. _"It seems that everyone is marrying these days."_

As Lief thought this, Marilen and Ranesh came into the kitchens, and joined them at the table. Lief could see that Marilen was now very close to giving birth.

"Why, Marilen, you look wonderful!" Sharn exclaimed as Marilen sat down beside her.

"I do not feel it," she said, as one of the cooks handed her a plate with assorted sandwiches on it. Ranesh was looking at the tabletop, as usual saying nothing. Lief tried to catch his eye, but Ranesh did not look up. He looked very tired. Marilen, however, looked straight at Lief.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked. "You look as if someone has just died!"

"Ah, Marilen, if only you knew." Lief sighed.

"Oh, Lief." Sharn said, looking up from her own plate. "You are not still upset about Jasmine, are you? She said she would come back, and Jasmine is not one for breaking her word."

Without saying anything, Lief drew out the note that Doom had written, and handed it to his mother. As she read it, Sharn's eyes widened. "Well," she said when she was finished. "This is something new. But I suppose it does make sense, dragons do need the hair of maidens to line their nests, and Jasmine's hair is indeed something to be admired. When I think about it, I am not surprised that the topaz dragon should want some of it."

But Marilen looked indignant as she in turn read the note. "Really, Lief?" She asked. "Is this all that has gotten you so upset?"

"Well, yes." Lief replied.

"I think you should know, Lief, that right now I would give anything to be in Jasmine's position. She is lucky to have been personally chosen by the dragon to donate her hair, and I can tell you now, that is certainly more comfortable than my situation!"

Lief was puzzled. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well," Marilen began, seeming to become even more swollen in her anger. "I cannot imagine that Jasmine has been sick once in the past months, and I do not think it is at all a problem for her to look down and see her feet, and don't get me started on stacking those accursed bookshelves!" Upon hearing this, Ranesh looked apologetic, but Marilen had not finished. "Oh, and if Jasmine was sitting where I am just now, I am quite sure that she would have no problem doing so! I, on the other hand, have this huge belly in the way!"

With that, Marilen stood up rather awkwardly, and left the room as quickly as she could, leaving her untouched plate of food on the table. Lief made to follow, but Ranesh put a warning hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Lief," he said quietly. "She is always like this now; I don't think she meant what she said. Give her a few moments to herself and she will be fine."

Lief still did not quite understand what was going on, and he was sure that he was the only one in the room who felt this way. "Why is she like this now?" He asked.

"It is the baby," Ranesh replied as he picked up Marilen's plate, intending to take it to her once she had calmed down. Lief still did not understand what he meant, but thought better of asking further questions. The shadows under Ranesh's eyes were deep, and he seemed constantly exhausted.

When he left the palace that evening, Lief wandered through the city alone. Night had fallen, but still some people walked the streets. In the markets, people selling fresh foods were shouting their wares, hoping that they could sell what was left before they left. He found himself walking toward a small tavern, which was a short distance from the market square. There were lights shining in the windows, and music could be heard floating on the breeze. Lief quickened his pace, eager to see what was happening. He had never been inside a tavern before, and he decided that now would be a good time to see what it was like. He figured that the music (which was growing louder as he approached) would cheer him up, if nothing else.

But when he came closer and heard a woman's voice start to sing, he found that he was very wrong about this.

"Come by the hills, to the land where fancy is free,

And stand where the peaks meet the sky, and the lochs meet the see."

Lief stood rigid with shock. For a moment, he wondered if this was all a dream and he would soon wake up in his bed at the forge. But he knew it was not. The cold air blowing on his face, and the bright lights in the tavern windows made this all too real.

From where he stood, Lief could see that there were many people inside, sitting at low wooden tables. There was a pretty young woman behind the bar, and the singer was sitting close by at an old piano. Lief could only see the back of her head, but he knew that she had long brown hair, wore a simple dress, and the hands that were playing the piano seemed worn.

"Where the rivers run clear, and the bracken is gold in the sun,

And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done."

The woman was singing her song in such jolly tones, that Lief could not help but wonder if she was mocking him with her words. Lief knew that people in the tavern would recognise him, but he did not care. He wanted to give this woman a piece of his mind. He closed the distance between himself and the tavern door in three strides, and pushed it open.

As Lief had expected, everyone in the tavern turned and looked at him as he entered. For a moment, every face in the tavern was smiling. As usual, the people were delighted to see King Lief among them. But the woman playing the piano did not stop singing, her fingers did not falter on the keys, and she did not even look up. It was almost as if she was ignoring him. Now, she was halfway through the next verse of the song.

"Where the trees sway in time, and even the wind sings in tune,

And the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done."

As she sang on, Lief took the opportunity to take a closer look at her. Now that he could see her properly, he realised that she was not much older than himself. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, and seemed to be completely focused on her playing. Lief also noticed that there was no music on top of the piano, which meant that she was playing completely from memory.

There was something on the piano though, where a music book would usually sit. Carefully, Lief moved a little closer to see what it was, and when he did, his jaw dropped. It was an old cane basket, which looked as if it might crumble into pieces at the slightest touch. There were many loose strands of cane where the weaving had come undone, And inside the basket, nestled among a small pile of gold and silver coins and wrapped in a blue blanket, was a baby, who was fast asleep.

Disclaimer: The lyrics used in this chapter were written by W. Gordon-Smith. They are sung to an Irish folk tune.


	5. In the Tavern

Chapter Five:

In the Tavern

The woman finished her song, and her audience clapped. Some of the people got up and came closer, throwing coins into the basket where the baby still slept. Lief realised that the woman used the basket as a performer would use a cup, hat, or case for their instrument. He found all this very strange, and moved a little closer, the better to speak to the woman. "Don't," she said sharply as Lief tried to throw a coin of his own into the basket. "I don't need your charity, King, nor does my little one. We do just fine on our own, without your help. Keep back now, I don't want you near me or my babe. You're no good."

Lief quickly stepped away from the piano, feeling confused and a little hurt. It was true that just now he would be quite happy not to be acknowledged as the king just for tonight, but this was something else entirely. Not only did this woman not care how she spoke to him, but she seemed to feel as many people had felt about the royal family before the Shadow Lord invaded. This disturbed him.

"Ah, come now, Kay," said a voice behind Lief. He turned and saw that the woman behind the bar was looking sternly at the musician. "He's alright," She continued. "He just wanted to give you some money for little Daphid there, that is all. He's a good king like that, you know." Clearly, this woman did not want the musician to ruin her opportunity to serve the king. The tavern was now completely silent, and Lief did not like this at all. All eyes were on the bar, and the piano beside it.

Lief decided that now would be a good time for him to speak. "It is alright," he said, sounding more confident than he actually felt. "I have only been king for a short time, and I cannot expect everyone to like me. I do not think I am all that special anyway, and besides, I have no official duties just now, I just wanted to hear the music that is all. You play very well, Kay. Perhaps you could play something else?"

At first, Kay seemed shocked by Lief's use of her name, but she recovered quickly, put her hands back onto the piano in front of her, and began to play.

This time, the tune she played was fast, and many of the people at the tables got up and started to dance. Unlike the previous song, this one had no words, just a melody that seemed to repeat itself, but sounded different each time. As the people danced and clapped in time with the music around him, Lief stepped closer to the bar. Fixed to a wall behind the barmaid's head was a board, on which a list of food and drinks that could be bought was written in green chalk.

Lief saw that among these were a local wine, this tavern's specialty ale, and strangely enough, Queen Bee Cider. He decided to purchase a glass of the ale, despite knowing that he would prefer the cider. He had never had ale before, but he felt sorry for causing such a stir with the barmaid and the musician, and buying the tavern's specialty seemed to be the only way he could show them this without saying anything.

"I would like a glass of the ale, if you please." Lief said, digging into his pocket for five silver coins.

"Of course," the barmaid replied, smiling at him in a way that suggested that he could have more than a drink from her if he wanted to. This made Lief feel rather awkward. As he went to hand her the money, the woman shrank back.

"No, no!" She exclaimed. "I can't accept that from you, you're the king." Surprised, Lief drew back his hand.

"Why not?" he asked as she filled the glass and put it on the counter in front of him. "You had no problem with me giving money to the musician, what is the difference?"

The woman leaned closer to Lief, which made him feel a little worried. He did not want to accept this woman's advances, but he did not want to announce his betrothal to Jasmine in this tavern either.

"Well," she began, lowering her voice. "It is different for Kay. She is very poor, you see. Playing here is her only way to get money." Surprised, Lief leaned in closer, the better to hear what she had to say. "Not that I'm complaining, mind, she is an old friend, and having music here is very good for business. But it saddens me to see her having to bring little Daphid here. As you can see, this is no place for a baby."

Lief looked over at the baby, still sleeping in the basket. He wondered how it could do so with all that noise. "Her husband doesn't work," the barmaid continued. "He will not even look after his son, which is why he is here."

Lief realised that the glass of ale she had prepared for him was still on the counter. He picked it up and took a sip. The drink was not bad, but he was still thinking about the woman Kay, who had finished playing and was again being applauded. "Can she not work somewhere else during the day?" He asked.

The woman looked at him, surprised. "Do you not see?" She asked him. Lief shook his head, not understanding. "Kay has very bad eyesight." She explained. "When she was very young, she became ill with a sickness that many children in Del get. It damaged her brain, so now Kay is almost completely blind. She works here during the night, and even after everyone is gone, she stays. She leaves in the morning, when the light is better. She needs it to find her way home. But when the sun becomes too bright, she has to stay at home with the curtains closed, because it hurts her eyes."

Lief looked again at Kay. Some of the things that had puzzled him earlier now made sense. The fact that she did not look around the room, and that she could play so well without music. But how had she known that he was approaching her when he first entered?

Lief placed his coins on the counter. "Please, just accept it." He said softly, taking his glass to one of the tables nearby. He was deeply shaken by everything he had just heard. It seemed that despite his best efforts to rid Deltora of such poverty, it was still there.

The night went on. Kay played many more tunes and songs, most of which Lief had never heard before in his life. He went back to the bar and bought several more drinks, paying for each one. After two more glasses of the tavern's specialty ale, Lief found that despite everything that had been happening, he was rather enjoying himself. As Kay broke into song once more, he decided to purchase a glass of Queen Bee Cider, as he had originally wanted to do. He no longer felt a need to please the barmaid. At one gold coin, the cider was more expensive than the ale, but Lief did not care. When he had drunk four glasses of it, he decided that his mother had been right, and that he really did have nothing to worry about. Jasmine was indeed capable of taking care of herself, and she had always done what she wanted. Why should she stop now that she was marrying him?

Gradually, people began leaving for the night. As they did so, they thanked the barmaid in loud voices, and gave what was left of their money to Kay. Lief noticed that she thanked each person in turn, and that some of them she even thanked by name. It seemed that there were many frequent customers here, and as he took his fifth glass of cider back to the table where he sat, he thought he understood why. All the people were so friendly here. Many of them had talked to Lief as he sat there, as though he was just an ordinary young man, and not their king. He also noticed that the barmaid had been slipping out from behind the counter, and putting the money Lief gave her into the baby Daphid's basket as she cooed over him.

Now, it was just Lief, Kay and the barmaid left in the tavern. Looking out of the window, Lief realised that it was very late. Kay had stopped playing, and had gone to the lavatory to feed and change her child. When she returned, Lief took his chance to speak to her.

"I am s-s-sorry," he said, finding that it was now more difficult to talk than it had been before. "I did no' mean to make you feel bad. I know you don' need my help, but I like how you play, but you made me feel sad with your song 'bout the 'ills. Made me think of Jasmine." To Lief's surprise, Kay came and sat in the chair beside his, with her baby in her arms.

"So," she said, smiling slightly. "Even you can have too much to drink. It seems you are human after all. That is good to know."

"What d'you mean?" Lief slurred.

"I mean, that you're almost just like the rest of us." She replied. Lief suddenly noticed that she was not looking at his face, but at the belt of Deltora. The baby was though. He was smiling at Lief, and waving one little hand, as if he was saying hello. Glancing down at the belt, he saw that the ruby and the emerald were both undimmed, which meant there was no danger. But still, he was curious.

"Why you looking at the belt?" He asked, waving back at the child, who giggled with delight. He lifted his other hand, and began waving it as well. Lief did the same.

"Because before you started waving your hands like an idiot just now, that was about the only part of you that I could see well. My eyes are poor, but that belt of yours is very shiny. So I decided to focus on that instead of trying to make out your face. It's probably better to look at than your face anyway."

Lief grinned. "I was waving at the baby," he said. "He likes it.

"I'm sure he does," she replied.

"Wha's his name?" Lief was sure he had been told before, but he could not remember just now. The room seemed to be spinning.

"His name is Daphid." She answered. "Didn't you hear the lady calling him that?"

"Oh, yes!" Lief suddenly remembered. "Hello, Daphid!" Again, the child giggled. The sound made Lief laugh also. But then he remembered something else the barmaid had said, and he stopped laughing.

"I know about your eyes." He said, suddenly feeling extremely sad. "You got sick when you were little."

"Yes," Kay said flatly. "it got me when I was eight. That's usually quite old for a child to get it, but I supposed I was just unlucky. Actually, no. I wasn't. I got it, but I didn't die. Many children do. It kills within hours."

Lief was horrified.

"How many chil'ren get it?" He asked, coming back to himself a little. It seemed that this illness really was a problem in Del. He had to do something, he was the king after all.

"Do you want one last drink, your majesty?"

Lief looked up, and saw that it was the barmaid who had called to him. "Yes," he said, getting up from the table with quite some difficulty. He was finding it very hard to walk to the bar, though it was only a short distance away.

"Cider again?" she asked. Lief nodded, and handed her a gold coin.

"you're not going to feel good in the morning," Kay said as he returned to the table. Daphid was smiling at him again. "Oh." Lief said, drinking deeply.

Lief finished his glass quickly, and put it down on the table.

"As for how many children get sick," Kay continued. "I don't really know. I know the number is very great, but that is all. I don't have many fears for Daphid, but I do worry about that. I worry that if he gets this sickness that he will be even worse off than me if he lives. Many people are. Sometimes, they lose all their limbs. It can rot the blood as well as the brain."

"Daphid will not get it!" Lief said quickly, seeing that her face was growing sadder by the moment. "I am the king, I can stop it."

"Can you?" Kay asked, sounding almost amused by what Lief had said.

"Yes." Lief said, nodding his head to show that he meant it.

"I promise you, that Daphid will not get it. If he plays music like you, he'll do it because he enjoys it, not because he must. I will make it a priority to stop the chil'ren of this city getting sick. I swear it."

Kay got up from the table, and gently put Daphid down in his basket. His eyes closed, and he fell back to sleep. Making sure that he was securely wrapped in his blanket and that it would not cover his face, she went behind the bar to talk to the barmaid, who was washing glasses.

As carefully as he could, Lief walked to the piano. Knowing that he was taking a risk, he took out his money bag, and gently placed it among the other coins in the basket. But as one little hand closed over one corner of the leather bag, the tavern door opened, and into the room walked Barda.


	6. Power

(A/N.) The illness I referred to in the previous chapter is meningococcal disease.

Chapter Six:

Power

Sharn sat in the sewing room at the palace. Despite the fact that her eyes were wet with tiredness, she felt extremely happy. She had done it; she had finished the dress for Jasmine. For many minutes, she sat back and admired her work. She hoped that Doom had meant what he had said in his note, that they would return this day. Sharn could not wait to see how the dress looked on Jasmine.

Suddenly, her head jerked up at the sound of running footsteps. The door to the sewing room flew open, and Barda came running in. "Sharn, come quickly!" He said. His eyes were wild, and he seemed to be in a panic.

"What?" She asked, surprised and a little annoyed at being disturbed.

"It is Lief." He said quickly. "He is at the forge, I found him in one of the taverns in the city. I had gone to the forge to check on him, and when I did not find him there I went looking for him. I found him talking to a woman at a table, and just as I got there he was putting his moneybag into a basket with a tiny baby in it."

Sharn did not need any more explanation. She got up, hung Jasmine's dress on its hanger, and followed Barda out of the room. "Lead the way," she said. She did not know what she would find at the forge, and she almost did not want to. But still, she ran with Barda, out of the palace, down the hill and into the city.

Sharn found Lief lying on his bed where Barda had left him, still fully dressed. He was lying on his stomach with his head dangling face down over the side. Sharn could see that Barda had placed a bucket on the floor below Lief's face, and that it was already half full with the contents of his stomach. The smell of apple told Sharn that he had been drinking Queen Bee Cider at this tavern, as well as some sort of ale. She wondered what in the world had possessed him to do this.

"I did the best I could for him," Barda said as Lief was sick again. He seemed completely unaware that they were in the room. "When I found him, he could hardly walk, nor could he tell me anything. The barmaid and the woman Lief had been speaking to came rushing out as soon as they saw me, but the woman asked me not to mention what had happened to anyone. It seems she did not want anyone to know that Lief had been speaking with her. I hope…" Barda broke off, looking away.

"You hope that he did not forget that he is betrothed." Sharn finished for him, her face grim. She knew that if Jasmine were to find out that such a thing had happened, she would end their betrothal and probably go back to the forests, never to return. Being betrayed like that would be something that Jasmine would never forgive, and Sharn could not blame her.

Finally, after he had filled the bucket to the brim, Lief raised his head and saw Barda and his mother standing there.

"What happened?" He croaked. "Where…"

Looking around the room, he seemed to realise where he was. "How did I get here?"

"I found you in that tavern, Lief." Barda answered him. "I was looking for you everywhere when I did not find you here. What were you doing?"

"Oh, yes." Lief said slowly. "I went in there to hear the music. She was singing a song about Jasmine…"

"Was she now?" Sharn asked with mild interest. But Lief it seemed, had said enough for tonight. He closed his eyes, put his head as close to the pillow as he could get it in his current state, and was snoring softly within seconds.

"Well, I suppose that is that." Barda said, looking at Sharn with a small smile. "I am sorry that I disturbed you, but I did not know what else to do for him. I felt that you, being his mother, would be a far better carer than I in any case. But it seems there really is nothing better to do than to let him sleep it off. I dare say we'll find out more in the morning."

"It is certainly something to look forward to," Sharn said, lifting Lief's head onto the pillow to make him more comfortable.

With one last glance at Lief, Sharn picked up the filled bucket, and followed Barda out of the room.

That morning, Jasmine and Doom awoke in the Os-Mine Hills. It was still very early, but both of them wanted to return to Del with all speed. Both felt they had accomplished much on this journey. After all the shocks of the day had died down, they had wasted no time in planting a tree in memory of Anna, and set off at once. They regretted that their time in the forests had been cut short, but they had agreed that they could return at any time.

Jasmine was brought back to the present by a cold breeze blowing on the back of her neck. Since her hair had been cut off yesterday, this had been happening a lot. But she did not regret what she had done, and the dragon had been extremely grateful. As she packed her things, Jasmine noticed that the breeze was getting stronger, and looking up, she saw why. For some reason, the dragon was coming back.

"What does it want now?" Doom asked with irritation. "Surely it has enough of your hair to line its nest."

Jasmine hoped that more of her hair was not what the dragon wanted, if it was, there would be a problem. It now grew to just above her neck, and Jasmine was sure that this would not be enough to satisfy it.

"By the heavens, it is almost upon us! I told you that you were wrong to do this Jasmine." Doom was drawing his sword, but Jasmine stood her ground.

"If that is what it wants, then we will have to ask it politely to let us go, she said. "There is nothing else we can do."

Within seconds, the dragon had landed in front of them and folded its wings. "So," it said. "It seems you are to return to the city today.""

"Yes," doom replied, trying very hard not to show that he was annoyed. "And if it is alright with you, Dragon, we wish to do so as quickly as we can. These hills certainly are nicer with the granous population under control, but there is nothing for us here at present."

The dragon seemed to smile. "That is good," it said. I have come at the right time then. Seeing Jasmine and Doom exchanging surprised glances, the dragon continued. "I have come to fly you back to Del. I feel it is the least I can do for you after you gave so much of that fine hair. Your mother is proud of you, you know."

Jasmine's jaw dropped. What was this? Her mother? Seeing the shocked look on Jasmine's face, it spoke again.

"Do you not understand, Female?" It asked her. Jasmine shook her head, still not believing what she was hearing.

"Like the gem of my territory, I can also contact spirits. Your mother came to me last night as I worked on my nest. She told me how glad she was that you had grown to love this land. I must say, I agree with her. I am glad that King Lief chose you to be his queen. Beside him, you will be able to achieve much, I know it. Your mother also said that she was happy that you were wearing a wedding dress like hers, honouring her wish. I do not know exactly what that means, but she told me that I should tell you this, so now I have."

There were tears in Jasmine's eyes now, and even Doom had bowed his head. For both of them, hearing that Anna was proud of her daughter more than made up for their lost time in the forests.

"Thank you for letting us know this, Dragon, it brings us much comfort." Jasmine said softly when she had recovered herself. "But you do not have to call me "Female." I will tell you my true name, so that you may have power over me as you have power over Lief. It is Jasmine."

The Dragon bowed low to her, and she bowed back. Then, wordlessly, she and Doom allowed themselves to be tied to the Dragon's neck, and carried back to Del.

Lief awoke in the early afternoon, remembering little of the previous night. He knew that he had had a lot to drink at the tavern, that Barda was the one who had brought him staggering back to the forge, and that was all. He turned over and tried to go back to sleep, but found that he could not. He was fully dressed from the previous day, and his head was pounding. Deciding that it was useless, Lief got unsteadily out of bed, and went into the sitting room. He knew at once that someone had been there, probably Sharn. There was a fire blazing in the hearth, and the room was far tidier than he usually kept it. Lief sat down in front of the fire and closed his eyes. What had he done last night? He had never had that much to drink in his life, and he was not sure he wanted to again. But he had no idea how much that actually was.

Hearing the front door open, he forced himself to raise his head, wondering who it could be, he looked toward it and to his surprise, and he saw that it was Jasmine walking into the small house, carrying a tray. She took one look at him, and her face fell.

"So it is true then," she said, putting the tray on the small table in front of Lief's chair. "Sharn sent you this."

Lief saw that on the tray was a bowl of soup, and a mug that was filled with thick liquid. "That is for your headache," Jasmine said, seeing his eyes on the mug.

"Thank you." Lief mumbled. He noticed that Jasmine was not quite looking at him.

"I am sorry that you came back to find me like this." He said quietly, seeing the anguished look on her face.

"If I had known what I would come back to, I would not have come back at all. The forests are as good as they ever were, I could've stayed there and been happy."

This caught Lief completely off guard.

"Jasmine, what do you mean?" He asked, beginning to panic. "All I did was have too much to drink last night. I know you do not like when people do that, and I am sorry for not remembering. But I do not understand why you would go back to the forests over something like that. Why, men do that sort of thing to their women all the time, so it is said."

"Oh?" Jasmine still was not looking at him, but the anger in her voice told Lief that she had heard him. "And do men do the other things you did to their women all the time? If so, you can forget that I ever agreed to marry you!"

She had said it. She had said the very thing that he had feared she might say, but hoped with all his heart that she would not. Now, Jasmine was walking swiftly out of the house. Lief noticed as she left that her hair had indeed been cut very short, but what did that matter now?

Lief did not chase after her. He did not even leave his chair as the door slammed. Instead, he picked up the mug that his mother had sent for him and sniffed it. He recognised it as one of his mother's herbal cures. He drank it quickly, hoping that it would get rid of the ache in his heart, as well as the one in his head.

Not long after Jasmine had slammed the door behind her, Lief heard it open again. Was she coming back to make sure he had heard what she had said? Lief hoped not. So he was almost relieved when he saw Barda and Doom coming into the room. But when he caught the looks of anger on both men's faces, that relief quickly died.

"What have you done Lief?" Doom thundered. "Jasmine came running back to the palace in tears just now!"

Lief did not know what to say. Everyone seemed to think he had done something other than drink himself stupid last night.

It was Barda who told him exactly what that was. "We think you may have strayed from Jasmine last night Lief," he said softly as he lowered himself into a chair. "Are we right in believing that this is true? Who was that woman you were speaking with at the table?"

Lief was shocked. So this was why Jasmine had ended their betrothal.

"No," he said at last. "It is not true. I could never do such a thing to Jasmine. That woman, well… I do not really know who she was. All I remember was that she played the piano, and I went in there because the song she was playing made me think of Jasmine. "Come by the hills where fancy is free" or something like that."

"Yes," Doom said. "I know it, an old folk song. But from what Barda told me, you were getting quite cosy with her in that tavern. He also says you put money in a baby's basket. We assumed that it was her baby. Why did you do that?"

"I-I don't remember." Lief replied. "It is all very hazy to me now. But I do know that I had no feelings for her, and I did not even touch her. As I said, I could never do that." Lief spoke directly to Doom. "I have wanted to marry your daughter since before I became king." He said. "How could anyone think that I would do anything to damage my chances of doing so?"

Now, Doom's face looked sad rather than angry. "I am sorry Lief," he said. "It was wrong of me to automatically assume that what Sharn and Barda had told me was true without speaking with you first. It was even more wrong of me to say anything to Jasmine without getting the full story. But I fear that your chances of marrying her have been ruined all the same, she is packing her things as we speak, preparing to go back to the forests."

Lief ran like he had never run in his life. The road that lead up the palace hill seemed far longer than it really was, and his panic only made it seem longer. He could not let Jasmine do this. He could not let her run away from him because of a misunderstanding. Finally, he reached the front doors and pushed them open. Running through the entrance hall, he noticed that people were staring at him as he passed. He had not shaved or changed his clothes since yesterday, and he imagined he must look a fright.

He took the stairs to the bedchamber floor two at a time. When he finally got to Jasmine's room, he ran in without knocking.

As Lief had expected, Jasmine had almost finished gathering her belongings. When she looked up and saw him, she quickly turned away.

"There is nothing you can do, Lief," she said quietly. "I have made my decision, and it is final."

"Jasmine…" He choked. "Why?" There was a lump in Lief's throat, and he could not think what to say. It seemed that words were failing him when he needed them most.

"You were unfaithful Lief." She said. "Whatever you promise you will do now, I cannot forget that. I cannot marry you, knowing that while I was away you might have been lying with someone else."

Jasmine was pulling on her pack. There were no tears in her eyes now. Her mouth was set in a thin, hard line. Lief knew he only had a few moments to convince her that she was wrong.

"There has never been anyone else for me Jasmine," he said softly. "If you still don't believe me, look at the emerald in the belt. It dulls when a vow has been broken, remember?"

Lief saw Jasmine's eyes move to the belt at his waste, and upon seeing that the emerald was indeed undimmed, she looked him full in the face for the first time since she had returned.

"You never made a vow that you would be true to me," she said.

"No," he answered. "But I did vow to you that I would marry for love. Remember, it was just after we returned from freeing the slaves."

Upon seeing Jasmine nod her head, he continued, hoping that he was right in what he said. "I chose to marry you Jasmine, because I love you. So it makes sense then, that if I even thought of anyone else in such a way, let alone touched them, I would have broken my vow."

Jasmine had stepped closer to him now. Lief felt his heart begin to race. He hoped that she had rethought her decision to go to the forests, but he could not be sure.

"When you love someone, it gives them even more power over you than if they know your true name," she finally muttered. "I wonder if dragons know this."

And then, Lief knew that he had said the right thing, for Jasmine had stepped even closer to him now.

"Your hair looks nice," was all he could think to say, just before she kissed him.

(A/N.) Alright, only two more chapters to go after this.


	7. The Forest Corner

(A/N.) This chapter was the hardest to write, for reasons that will become obvious as you read. I've never written anything like this before, so I would really appreciate some feedback.

Chapter Seven:

The Forest Corner

A few months had passed since Jasmine had given her hair to the Dragon of the Topaz, and it was now only a week before she and Lief were to be married. There was much preparation for this grand event all around the kingdom, and the streets of Del were filled with excited people. When Lief had announced his betrothal to Jasmine at the full moon meeting, the palace had erupted with shouting and cheering, and this had filled Lief with joy. It was true that there were still some people throughout the kingdom who did not approve of their king choosing to marry a "wild girl" from the forests of silence, but Lief took no notice of them.

But now, Lief was nervous. He had had a wedding gift made for Jasmine, and had decided that a week before the actual ceremony would be the right time to present it to her. He only hoped she would like it. Kree and Filli had given him their approval, but he had not really done it for them.

Lief was waiting for Jasmine in the sitting room at the forge, where they both now lived. Despite the fact that this was meant to be about her, he could not help but feel a little annoyed. He knew what she was doing. Ever since Jasmine had returned from giving her hair to the dragon in the Os-Mine hills, she had taken to combing her hair, tying it with ribbons and bows, and experimenting with different styles. Lief had no idea why Jasmine was doing this, he found it very strange. He also preferred her hair the way she had kept it before.

Finally, Jasmine came out of her room, with her hair tied with bright red ribbons today. They certainly made a difference to her appearance, but Lief found that he did not like it at all. It was true that the ribbons were pretty in their own way, but the young woman standing before him looked very unlike the Jasmine he knew and had grown to love.

"Why are we going to the palace?" Jasmine asked as Lief lead her by the hand out of the forge.

"Because I have something to show you," he answered her, still feeling uncomfortable about the ribbons.

When they reached the palace, Jasmine was surprised when they did not enter the palace itself, but walked around to the door that lead into the kitchens. They did not go in there, but instead, walked along a path that looked as though it had been newly built. It was after about a minute of walking along this path, that Jasmine received her first shock. The area they had just entered was full of trees, flowers and other growing things, and unlike the rest of the palace gardens, there seemed to be no order about them. It seemed that everything here had simply been left to grow wildly, almost as if…

"Lief, what is this place?" Jasmine finally asked him.

"It is the forest corner," he said, looking up at her and smiling. "Look." He pointed back in the direction they had come, and there, at the end of the path, was a rock, and fixed it was a metal plaque which read:

"The forest corner

Planted here for Jasmine, Queen of Deltora, who continues to honour her family's tradition of making great sacrifices for the royal family by agreeing to live in Del."

Looking around at the wild, untouched beauty that surrounded her, Jasmine could not believe her eyes.

"You-you had this place planted here for me?" She stammered. "But how? Why?"

"Yes," Lief answered softly. "I had it planted here because I know how much you hate this city, and how you love growing things. I had the gardener collect some samples from the forests and plant them here, to bring a little piece of your home to this palace."

Jasmine did not know what to say to this. She knew the palace gardener, a friendly man called Kent who walked with the aid of a stick, due to an injury he had suffered during the time of the shadow lord. She wondered how Lief had managed to convince him to go to the forests to get the cuttings for the trees that now grew in this garden.

"Kent went to the forests with a few of the guards." Lief said, seeing the questions in Jasmine's eyes. "He did not mind going there, I promise. He knew that the guards would protect him, and he was interested to see what he could find. Kent has always loved growing things, just like you, which was why he was given the job."

Again, Jasmine found herself speechless. She did not know Kent very well at all, but she had known before this how he loved growing things. Once, she had seen Kent chasing little Zerry through the gardens, waving his stick and shouting at him for trampling on the flowers.

But never had Jasmine imagined that that any man from Del, (aside from Lief, Barda or Doom) would go willingly to the forests of silence, king's orders or not. Nor did she imagine that Lief would ever ask anyone to do such a thing, just for her. The place couldn't really be used for anything. It was only there to make Jasmine happy, and it was this realisation that made her come undone. There were no words that could express just how Jasmine was feeling. Or at least, none that she knew. So she did what she always did when she did not know what to say. She showed her feelings through her actions.

Jasmine and Lief had kissed one another before, but it had never been anything like this. There was a new urgency in their movements that had not been there before, and yet, it was as though time had stopped. Lief opened his mouth a little, deepening the kiss. Jasmine noticed that he was also untying the ribbons she had put in her hair. But when she felt Lief's hand touch the skin of her belly and begin to move upward, she quickly pulled away.

"No." She said softly.

Jasmine could see that Lief was disappointed, but like the gentleman he was, he moved a little away from her, giving her space. "It's not right Lief, you know it," she said, trying to make him understand.

"Why not?" He asked. "We are to be married within a week, and besides, I have no regard for those rules and traditions. What does it matter, really?"

"It matters because…" Jasmine did not quite know how to continue. It became clear to her that Lief had not heard, or cared enough to hear what some of the people in Del had been saying about her. If he had, he would not have tried to put his hand under her shirt like that.

"Do you not understand, Lief?" She asked, hoping that she would not have to say it aloud.

"Understand what, Jasmine?" He said, becoming even more upset. "Are you waiting for another dragon to come for your hair?"

Lief had not mentioned the dragon since her return from the hills, and Jasmine realised that he was not going to understand without an explanation from her.

"I am not waiting for another dragon Lief," she began. "I have given my hair once, and once is enough. But you obviously have not heard what some of the people say about me. About you. About us. Some of them say that you are marrying a wild girl like me because I have set you upon the wrong path, They say that a girl raised by the forests has no understanding of how proper humans should behave, and they are right about some things. I did not even know what a shop was before I met you, I could hardly read or write, and if I allowed you to touch me like that now, in this place full of wild growing things, which you had made so that I can remember my old home, I would only be proving them right."

Jasmine could see that Lief still did not understand. He looked almost insulted by what she was saying.

"But you never seemed to care what others thought of you before, Jasmine." He said quietly. "Why now?"

It was true that Lief still did not understand why Jasmine would not let him touch her, but he was beginning to understand a few things that had puzzled him before. First, there were the ribbons in Jasmine's hair. Lief now realised that she wore them because the things that people had been saying about her were making her feel bad about the way she looked. Then, there was Kree and Filly, who could not usually be seen with Jasmine these days. When Jasmine accompanied Lief to the palace, Filli would often stay at the forge, and Kree could usually be found in the bird room at the palace, helping to train all the new messenger birds, many of whom were his own offspring. Filli had come with Jasmine today, but he had been hidden under her collar until she had kissed him. He was now sitting on a branch above, looking down at them with interest.

Jasmine had also taken to wearing much finer garments, which Lief thought suited her even less than the ribbons in her hair.

"Most of the people know the truth, Lief, that you really are marrying for love," Jasmine was saying. "But there are those who believe that we are marrying for… Other reasons, like I said. I have even heard one person saying that we already have a child!"

Lief knew that he shouldn't laugh, but he could not help himself. "A child?" He asked, tears running down his face. "I don't suppose they know where we would keep it, do they?"

"I don't know," Jasmine said, a little annoyed at Lief's laughter. "Perhaps they think we keep it in a draw or something, and only take it out to be fed or changed. Perhaps they think that once we are married, the secret heir to the thrown of Deltora will be revealed, name and all, and that will be the end of it."

"Oh?" Lief said, still laughing. "And have these people given any thought to how we took this secret heir on our "tour of the kingdom?" Surely they all know by now that we were riding on dragons, dealing with Laughing Jack, and everything else. I admit, I do not know much about human babies, but I am quite sure they do not survive such adventures. Or perhaps a baby of ours might, because it would have your "wild girl" abilities."

Jasmine was also grinning now, despite herself.

"Lief, you are being stupid now," she said. "Of course, none of it makes sense, but that does not mean I do not feel hurt at times by what is said about me. Even with my "wild girl abilities," as you put it, I can still feel such things."

"I know this Jasmine," Lief said gently. "But do you not understand? I fell in love with the wild girl from the forests. That is why I planted this garden. I did not fall in love with the girl who wears those ridiculous ribbons, and if you plan to wear that skirt again during our marriage, I might just have to reconsider. None of the clothes that you wear these days suit you at all! I thought you were only wearing them to please Marilen, and even then I thought it was silly. I know she is your friend, but even so…" Lief's voice trailed off. He wondered if he had gone too far.

Jasmine was looking at him with sad eyes now, and Lief found that he did not know how to take back what he had said. "Are my clothes really that bad?" She asked him.

"They are not bad," he replied. "They just don't suit you, that is all. But if you wanted to put something in your hair, you could try flowers." Lief knew that he was taking a risk with this one. He had often heard that women did not like it when men told them how to dress, or wear their hair, and Jasmine was proving to be no different. But still, he pointed to some little white flowers which were growing a little way away from them. "Like those ones." He said. "They are quite pretty."

Lief walked to the patch of earth in which the flowers were growing and picked a handful. Walking back to Jasmine, he handed them to her. "Here," he said. "You could take the ribbons out and put these in your hair… But only if you want to, of course." Lief was blushing now, he suddenly felt younger than he was, not to mention a little foolish.

"Thank you," Jasmine said, taking the flowers. "They really are pretty. I am sorry if I upset you before Lief, I just felt that it would give the gossips something else to talk about if they ever found out that you had touched me like that before we were married. But do not think I did not want you to…" She stopped there, feeling awkward.

"But how would they find out?" Lief asked, sitting down and leaning his back against the trunk of the tree where Filli was still sitting.

"This place is rather open," Jasmine replied. "Someone might see us."

"but someone would have to actually come in here to do so," Lief said. "Nothing can be seen from the path out there, the trees block everything out."

Looking toward the path by which they had come, Jasmine saw that this was true. She could not see anything beyond the rock with the plaque on it. Sitting down beside Lief, she held the flowers out to him.

"Perhaps… you could put these in my hair for me?" She asked, now she was also blushing. "It is quite difficult to put something in your hair without a mirror, and you've already untied half the ribbons." She moved a little closer. Lief took the flowers, and began untying the rest of the ribbons.

As Lief threaded the flowers through her hair, Jasmine felt the same as she did when he had been kissing her. It was a strange, new feeling, and she was glad that she and Lief were the only ones in the garden just now. She felt that she did not want to share it with anyone else, and she now understood why Marilen and Sharn had told her that things such as this were spoken of in private.

When Lief finished, he looked her full in the face. "You would look just as beautiful without these," he said, and then, they were kissing again.

Jasmine put her arms around him, and this time, it was she who opened her mouth. But unlike before, it was soft and slow. As Lief put his tongue into her mouth, Jasmine felt her heart beating faster, and the blood begin to rush through her veins. Lief did not try and put his hand under her shirt again, choosing instead to stroke her cheek with the tips of his fingers. Jasmine enjoyed the feeling, but now she no longer cared what anyone said about her. Her love for Lief was enough to drive any care from her mind.

Gently, Jasmine removed Lief's hand from her face, and guided it to where it had been before she pulled away from him. Lief broke the kiss and opened his eyes.

"Are you sure?" He whispered.

"Yes," she breathed, as she kissed him again. Lief's hand lingered for a while on the skin of her belly before he moved it upward. Both of them gasped as his hand touched the skin of her breasts. Jasmine enjoyed the contact, but Lief's hand was a little cold. With his other hand, Lief lifted Jasmine's shirt from the back, the better to touch her. Feeling the cold breeze on her skin, Jasmine shivered.

Lief felt Jasmine shiver, and broke the kiss once again. He wrapped his cloak around them both for warmth, and felt Jasmine begin to lift his shirt as he had done with hers. As he felt the skin of her belly touch his own, Lief's breathing became more ragged. He was not sure that he could remain in control for much longer. His hands were now moving all over Jasmine's body, and she was lifting his shirt higher, as if to take it off. There was nothing soft or slow about this, the urgent feelings had returned. Lief was now kissing Jasmine's neck, just above her collarbone, and the sound of her gasping told him that she was feeling the same as he was.

And so it was, that neither of them saw the black clouds overhead. Nor did they hear the rumble of thunder that might have warned them of the approaching storm. They only realised their danger when the first fat drops of rain fell from the branch above them. But by then, it was raining heavily, and the tree branch was swaying dangerously. They had to move. Rearranging their clothes as quickly as they could, they scrambled out from under the tree, ran around the palace toward the gates, passed through them, and ran down the hill toward the forge.

From the safety of the tree above, Filli watched them go. He knew what had been happening below him before the storm approached, and he knew what would've happened had it not done so. Filli found it strange that Lief had had to put flowers in Jasmine's hair, and tell her she was beautiful before he finally earned the right to take her for his mate. He wondered why he had bundled her in his cloak and ran with her down the palace hill, instead of climbing the tree, or even the hill with her to continue what they had been doing. Humans really were very strange, and Filli was glad that he was not one.

When Lief and Jasmine reached the forge, they stood together in the sitting room at the cottage, neither of them knowing what to do. Both knew what would've happened had the rain not set in, and both were somewhat disappointed that it had not.

For Jasmine, it was as though everything she felt about Lief could be expressed through this act, and she felt that it would be easier to show him, rather than tell him. She had never been good with words. Their time in the forest corner had seemed like the perfect opportunity, and it seemed unfair that it should be torn away from her.

Realising that Lief was not going to do anything without some sort of signal from her, Jasmine took his hand, and began leading him down the short hallway.

"Are you sure you are not waiting for another dragon to come for your hair?" Lief asked teasingly, as they entered his room, and Jasmine closed the door behind them.

There was a lot of blood. Lief had not expected this. He knew that women bled for a few days each month, but he had not known that Jasmine would bleed now. If he had, he might have changed his mind about what they had just done, or at least been gentler with her. Lief had pulled himself away from Jasmine when he heard her cry out in pain, and when he got off the bed and saw the blood beginning to stain the white sheet, he worried that he had done something wrong and hurt her.

"I am sorry Jasmine," he said, the guilt threatening to take over him.

"Why did you stop?" She asked, looking at him with hurt in her eyes.

"Why, you are hurt." He answered, turning toward the door. "I have made you bleed." He said, leaving the room.

Jasmine did not understand what had just happened. After she had closed the door, they had continued what they had begun in the forest corner, removing their wet clothing as they did so. They had declared their love for one another right before it happened, but Lief had pulled away only moments later. Jasmine had known that it would hurt the first time, Marilen had told her this. But all the same, she could not help crying out. She now knew that this was what had made Lief pull away from her, and when he had seen the blood, he left the room. Perhaps it had frightened him. Or perhaps the blood had made him think she was somehow unclean. She was surprised then, when Lief returned, holding a wet cloth in his hand.

"Let me clean that," He said, kneeling down beside her and gesturing to the blood on her body. "It is the least I can do. I am so sorry, I did not mean to hurt you."

Now Jasmine understood why Lief had left the room. "It was not your fault Lief," she said softly as he began to wipe the blood from her. His hand was gentle and cautious, as though he feared he might hurt her again. "It is normal for a woman to bleed like that, the blood means I am no longer a maiden. A dragon cannot come for my hair now." Jasmine smiled at the shocked look on Lief's face. He had gotten as much of the blood off her as he could, and had stood up to take the cloth back to the kitchen.

"I can sleep elsewhere tonight," he said from the hallway.

"No," Jasmine said, "You can stay here with me." She did not want him to leave her like that after what they had just done, she did not want Lief to feel that she had not enjoyed the experience at all.

When he returned and lay back down beside her, Jasmine covered them both with the blanket.

As they fell asleep, Lief thought that despite everything, he was glad that Jasmine was no longer a maiden. Before the dragon had asked for her hair, he had thought that the shadow lord was the only thing from which he had to protect her. But he had been wrong. As his queen, Jasmine would always be under some sort of threat, but at least he no longer had to worry about dragons now.


End file.
